Help! Dog food ingredients puzzle

[flat3]

I'm coming to the AAD hive mind for any ideas please!

I transitioned my chilled, born-half-trained 18m lab from Skinner's Junior Chicken to the Adult Chicken & Rice over the course of last week, and she had a complete personality change - becoming unsettled and anxious at home, hyper and disobedient (!) out on walks. I put her back on Junior at the weekend and her personality is already back to normal, so I'm fairly convinced it was the food. Everything else was totally BAU. So I want to identify what it might be that caused the problem to help me pick the food to try next...

The Adult is less everything and the only new ingredient is peas. A bit of time on Google didn't throw up anything about peas sending them weird...

She's been on Skinner's all her life (Puppy and then Junior) doing really well on it, and it's easy to get hold of locally and good value, so I was/am keen to stay with the brand - but I want my dog to stay her lovely self!

Any ideas what the problem ingredient might be?




Junior is 384 kcal/100 with Protein 27.0%, Fat 16.0%, Fibre 2.0%, Ash 7.0%, Moisture 8.0%, Omega3 0.94%
Adult is 353 kcal/100g with Protein 25.0%, Fat 10.0%, Fibre 2.8%, Ash 6.0%, Moisture 8.0%

This is all the info I could get from Skinner's.

We don’t give out the percentages of every ingredient in order to preserve the confidentiality of our recipes. However, I am more than happy to provide the full list of ingredients which are listed in descending order.

Field & Trial Junior	Field & Trial Chicken & Rice
Poultry meat meal (32.5%)	Brown rice (37.8%)
Maize	Poultry meat meal (27.5%)
Wheat	Naked oats
Brown rice	Peas
Poultry fat	Whole linseed
Naked oats	Beet pulp
Beet pulp	Poultry fat
Whole linseed	Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals	Herb blend, MOS, FOS, glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, seaweed, yucca.
Marine algae meal
MOS, FOS, herb blend, glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, seaweed, yucca.
Crude protein – 27%	Crude protein – 25%
Crude fat – 16%	Crude fat – 10%
Crude fibre – 2%	Crude fibre – 2.8%
Crude ash – 7%	Crude Ash – 6%

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It seem pretty obvious to me that your dog reacts badly to peas. Is there any real reason why she can't stay on the Junior version?

Eta, I have extensive experience of food intolerances in humans/horses/dogs/cats. Intolerance often results in behaviour changes, as well as physical problems such as itching.

 

[flat3]

Thanks, she's my first dog (as an adult, had one growing up) so wasn't sure it could be as simple as "doesn't get on with peas" - particularly as no similar hits when I googled. Sounds like I could give their Lamb & Rice a try as no peas

ETA: I assumed she'd need to move off the Junior onto an Adult food at some point, from what I've read it seems universally not advised to keep an adult dog on it

 

[PurBee]

It does sound like a legume intolerance. Likely due to lectins. Lectin intolerance is common in humans.
Here’s some info about canine pea/lectin intolerance:

Can Dogs Eat Peas? | Peas & Lectins & What They Mean for Your Dog - All About Dog Food

Peas: a good source of natural nutrients for your pet or the cause of wide ranging health problems from arthritis to diabetes? I have been doing a bit of digging to give you what I hope will be a definitive guide to peas in pet food.

www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

My dog had ingredient intolerances and its amazing how symptoms quickly show with a change of food. Stick with what works well while navigating alternatives.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

ETA: I assumed she'd need to move off the Junior onto an Adult food at some point, from what I've read it seems universally not advised to keep an adult dog on it

The manufacturers are very good at creating a market. However puppy foods usually do have higher oil/energy than adult foods which particularly for a Lab isn't a good idea. If the lamb and rice doesn't contain peas, it does seem that would be suitable.

 

[Teaselmeg]

Try the lamb if it doesn't have peas. That list of ingredients for both is pretty awful to be honest

 

[I'm Dun]

Try the lamb if it doesn't have peas. That list of ingredients for both is pretty awful to be honest

I'm always surprised when people recommend it. Having tried my dogs on the best kibble I could find for nearly 2yrs I've just put them back on raw and noticed a difference in coats and temperament, so despite it being a bit of a pain to manage living on boat I'm sticking with raw now. I suspect one of mine would be a lunatic and the other would have a constantly upset stomach if I fed skinners!

 

[tda]

I think peas are added for protein and energy, so maybe just not needed yet for your dog, or as others have said maybe an allergy/intolerance

 

[flat3]

Thanks for your input everyone!